Crime lab technician gets 16 months for stealing drugs

Thursday

May 16, 2013 at 12:01 AM

STOCKTON - A former criminalist from a state crime lab in Ripon has pleaded guilty to embezzlement after taking a half-pound of crystal methamphetamine and cocaine from evidence submitted by law enforcement agencies.

Jennie Rodriguez-Moore

STOCKTON - A former criminalist from a state crime lab in Ripon has pleaded guilty to embezzlement after taking a half-pound of crystal methamphetamine and cocaine from evidence submitted by law enforcement agencies.

Prosecutors said the theft compromised dozens of drug cases in San Joaquin, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Merced and Stanislaus counties, where the lab worker was to testify.

Already weeks into his own jury trial, Hermon Brown pleaded Tuesday in exchange for a 16-month incarceration period under realignment law AB109. His sentence is to be served in San Joaquin County corrections.

Brown, 43, was facing a maximum of three years in state prison for multiple charges, including grand theft and possession of meth for sale.

"What he did was very serious, and it caused significant damage to the justice system across several counties," county Deputy District Attorney Todd Turner said.

"Once in a while, people in law enforcement jobs breach that trust, but on the balance it is very rare. ... There are a lot of fine criminalists there ( at Ripon crime lab)."

Brown was absent from the trial about 50 percent of the time for medical and personal reasons. His wife passed away during the investigation, and he had sought emergency medical treatment for himself just before accepting the plea deal Tuesday.

According to witness testimony, there were significant weight losses in many drug evidence packets handled by Brown. Some packages that were re-analyzed had as much as 50 percent missing.

The laboratory brought their suspicions forward to authorities.

Brown is scheduled for sentencing in August.

Turner believes the deal was fair and reasonable. Brown caused great damage, but he had no prior criminal record and is not likely to reoffend, Turner said.